MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

Wheaton 81, North Park 80? 
Really?
Did Massey get advance notice that Juwan is out again tonight for NPU?

[AndOne]

(IMHO) a BIG question re the above discussion involving the possible POY-------
Who has faced tougher competition?
I think that should have something to do with the voting. But will it, or will the voters just look primarily at the stat lines, and any press that has been generated during the season?

Alas, voters likely look at W/L team and stat lines versus SOS or who you played.  The NEWMAC is not the CCIW however, Babson did not exactly play cupcakes in non-conference.  With

Right you are about Babson's n-c opponents, but what likely encompasses a larger batch of cupcakes? Certainly the conference part of the schedule makes up the majority of the season's total. Whoever plays the softer conference schedule probably gets to enjoy more cupcakes. 🍮🍮🍮

[Smitty Oom]

(IMHO) a BIG question re the above discussion involving the possible POY-------
Who has faced tougher competition?
I think that should have something to do with the voting. But will it, or will the voters just look primarily at the stat lines, and any press that has been generated during the season?

Alas, voters likely look at W/L team and stat lines versus SOS or who you played.  The NEWMAC is not the CCIW however, Babson did not exactly play cupcakes in non-conference.  With

I know it is Player of the YEAR, but the kind of career that Flannery has put together has been incredible. He has led Babson to Salem his Sophmore year, scored 2000+ career points, 2 time First Team All-American, led the Beavers to 4 straight NCAA births and winning two straight NEWMAC championships. Not to mention the fact that Babson has been ranked number one the whole year and he has been that steady force for the best team in the nation.

The past couple years the award has usually gone to a player on one of the best teams in the nation, such as last year when Lucas Johnson from Benedictine won the award. He was an exceptional player and very worthy of the award don't get me wrong, but there were players with better stat lines than Johnson. He was the best player on a then undefeated team playing in the National Championship, the choice was a no-brainer.

With this being said, Jordan Robinson is turning in a great campaign and one that will very likely end with him being named an All-American.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Interesting that Massey has Carthage ranked higher than IWU, their game tonite is in Kenosha, yet he has the Titans as a slight favorite.  I'd love to hear his computer's reasoning on that one!

[4samuy]

Absolutely good points about Flannery, I remember posting on this site after watching the Chicago vs Babson game that it seemed like he's been around for six years.  That's a tribute to what he's done since he first stepped on Campus.

[unanimous22]

Interesting that Massey has Carthage ranked higher than IWU, their game tonite is in Kenosha, yet he has the Titans as a slight favorite.  I'd love to hear his computer's reasoning on that one!

Same

[AndOne]

Interesting that Massey has Carthage ranked higher than IWU, their game tonite is in Kenosha, yet he has the Titans as a slight favorite.  I'd love to hear his computer's reasoning on that one!

Wheaton 81, North Park 80? 
Really?
Did Massey get advance notice that Juwan is out again tonight for NPU?

2 games where the lower ranked team is a slight "favorite" 
Perhaps the computer missed breakfast today?

[AppletonRocks]

Interesting that Massey has Carthage ranked higher than IWU, their game tonite is in Kenosha, yet he has the Titans as a slight favorite.  I'd love to hear his computer's reasoning on that one!

Same

Carthage is in Wisconsin.  Massey is originally from Wisconsin.  Quit overthinking this. 

[AndOne]

(IMHO) a BIG question re the above discussion involving the possible POY-------
Who has faced tougher competition?
I think that should have something to do with the voting. But will it, or will the voters just look primarily at the stat lines, and any press that has been generated during the season?

Alas, voters likely look at W/L team and stat lines versus SOS or who you played.  The NEWMAC is not the CCIW however, Babson did not exactly play cupcakes in non-conference.  With

I know it is Player of the YEAR, but the kind of career that Flannery has put together has been incredible. He has led Babson to Salem his Sophmore year, scored 2000+ career points, 2 time First Team All-American, led the Beavers to 4 straight NCAA births and winning two straight NEWMAC championships. Not to mention the fact that Babson has been ranked number one the whole year and he has been that steady force for the best team in the nation.

The past couple years the award has usually gone to a player on one of the best teams in the nation, such as last year when Lucas Johnson from Benedictine won the award. He was an exceptional player and very worthy of the award don't get me wrong, but there were players with better stat lines than Johnson. He was the best player on a then undefeated team playing in the National Championship, the choice was a no-brainer.

With this being said, Jordan Robinson is turning in a great campaign and one that will very likely end with him being named an All-American.

Smitty,

You are right in that it is the Player of (THIS) Year. And, with all due respect, much of your first paragraph points out the impressive record Flannery has compiled in previous years. And that is not to diminish what he has done this season. But, unless the award is for a career's worth of accomplishments, it honestly isn't really pertinent.

Additionally, as I pointed out above, I truly do feel that, as the Talking Heads suggested in Once In A Lifetime, you have to ask yourself who this year's results were accomplished against. Cupcakes or primarily tough competition? I think that should really be a factor. That said, I think Flannery is probably a deserving recipient, and it will not be surprising at all if he wins.

As far as Lucas Johnson being the POY last year, yes he had a fabulous year, but no way was he the best player in the entire nation last season. He did have the best game of anyone when it mattered most in the national championship game, but the absolute best player in the entire country for the entire year, no way. Especially when, and here again the question of against who comes up, many of his stats were compiled against very cupcake like conference competition. BU was 20-0 against a conference that has only one other good team.

[4samuy]

Obviously a huge game in Kenosha tonight for both teams.  There is just simply a lot on the line in this one...

* Carthage is still in the title race - it's not unrealistic to think Carthage and Augustana could both finish 12-4. And the Red Men would probably win a 12-4 tie with Augie based on the Red Men's sweep of North Park.

* IWU is fighting to, 1) make the CCIW tournament and, 2) land a 2 or 3 seed.  A win tonight for the Titans means a sweep of Carthage -- IWU would win a tie with the Red Men if it finished that way.  The Titans can still make the tournament with a loss tonight but a win would really make that path much easier.

* There are significant conference tournament implications for Carthage tonight too.  If the Red Men get swept by IWU, they could end up the 4-seed (since they'd lose a tie-breaker with IWU). Obviously much better to be the 2 or 3.

* And last but certainly not least, huge NCAA tournament implications on the line tonight. In the first regional ranking this week, IWU (.714 WP, .552 SOS) was ranked and Carthage (.700 WP, .567 SOS) was not...due in large part to IWU's win over the Red Men.  If IWU sweeps the series, that ranking stays right there...a Carthage win tonight would almost certainly flip the ranking.  The order of IWU and Carthage in the regional rankings is really significant for both teams because the higher ranked team will have a pretty good Pool C chance...the lower most likely will be on the wrong side of the bubble.  Both of these teams are fighting to be the CCIW's 2nd highest regionally ranked team behind Augie (currently North Park).

In IWU's win in Bloomington the Titans were without 6-8 Trevor Seibring...he's now back and has played very well the last two games (vs Carroll - 14 pts, 5 reb, 6-8 FG; vs Elmhurst - 16 pts, 11 reb, 6-8 FG). The Titans are a much different team when Seibring is on the floor and healthy.

This certainly isn't a winner-take-all game for the title, but it's hard for me to think of a conference game with more post-season implications than this one.  Should be a great crowd at Tarble and a tight game between two very even teams.  Looking forward to watching!

----------
Carthage turns its attention to Illinois Wesleyan, which visits for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday. The Titans were ranked 22nd when they beat the Red Men, 77-74, on Jan. 14.

"It's the biggest game we've played in a while here," Djurickovic said. "You're going to have a crowd of 1,500-1,800 people and it'll be quite electric."

http://kenoshanews.com/sports/another_wild_one_491826509.php

I know your looking forward, but looking back, boy, That game against Middlebury in Staten Island would have been huge for the green, the way the season has unfolded for both Middlebury and IWU. A couple non conference wins against WashU and Middlebury would be a nice looking Resume.

[Titan Q]

Final from Waukesha:

Carroll 75
Augustana 70


That makes the title race and conference tournament picture really interesting. 

Augie (11-3) still has road games left at North Park and at IWU.  All the sudden Carthage (8-4) and North Park (8-4) right back in the championship mix.

[4samuy]

Final from Waukesha:

Carroll 75
Augustana 70


That makes the title race and conference tournament picture really interesting.  Augie still has road games at North Park and at IWU.

Yup.  Carroll guards were fantastic and Augustana was resilient coming back from a nine point halftime deficit to take the lead in the second half, but Carroll wasn't going to be denied. Fun game to watch.

[iwu70]

4s, agree with you on that Long Island game, with Middlebury winning on a last second shot.  That one would have helped IWU's Selection Sunday argument a great deal.  At least we have the Wash U win @ Wash U.  Big game now at CC.  Titans have to have this one, or likely tough for them to make the CCIW tournament. 

'70

[4samuy]

Yeah, tonight is a big one, but I still think 12-4 wins the regular season, so teams 10-6 get in and I believe IWU beats Augustana at home.  Hope that calms your nerves.😃

[iwu70]

CC 43 IWU 42, at the half.

'70